_To my worschypful and reverent Lord, John, Vicont Beaumont._
[Sidenote: 1448 / MAY 28]
Rygth worschypfull, and my reverent and most spesiall Lord, y recomaund
me un to yowr good grace in the most humble and lowly wyse that y canne
or may, desyryng to her of your prosperite and well fare [as to
my][88.3] most syngeler joy and spesiall comfort.
And gyf hyt plees your Hygnes, as towchyng the soden aventuer that fell
latly at Coventre, plees hyt your Lordshyp to her that, on Corpus
Christi Even[89.1] last passed, be twene viij. and ix. of the clok at
a[fternon],[89.2] Syr Umfrey Stafford[89.3] had browth my mayster Syr
James of Urmond[89.4] towa[r]d hys yn [_inn_] from my Lady of
Shrewesb[ery,[89.5] and][89.2] reterned from hym toward hys yn, he met
with Syr Robert Harcourt[89.6] comyng from hys moder towards hys yn, and
pass[ed Syr][89.2] Umfrey; and Richard, hys son, came somewhat be hynd,
and when they met to gyder, they fell in handes togyder, and [Sir
Robert][89.2] smot hym a grette st[r]oke on the hed with hys sord, and
Richard with hys dagger hastely went toward hym. And as he stombled, on
of Harcourts men smot hym in the bak with a knyfe; men wotte not ho hyt
was reddely. Hys fader hard noys, and rode toward hem, and hys men ronne
befor hym thyder ward; and in the goyng downe of hys hors, on, he wotte
not ho, be hynd hym smot hym on the hede with a nege tole, men know not
with us with what wepone, that he fell downe; and hys son fell downe be
fore hym as good as dede. And all thys was don, as men sey, in a Pater
Noster wyle. And forth with Syr Umfrey Stafford men foloed after, and
slew ij. men of Harcowrttus, on Swynerton, and Bradshawe, and mo ben
hurt; sum ben gonne, and sum be in pryson in the jayll at Coventre.
And before the coroner of Coventre, up on the sygth of the bodyes, ther
ben endited, as prynsipall for the deth of Richard Stafford, Syr Robert
Harcourt and the ij. men that ben dede. And for the ij. men of Harcourts
that ben dede, ther ben endited ij. men of Syr Umfrey as prynsipall. And
as gytte ther hath ben no thyng fownden before the Justice of the Pees
of Coventre of thys riot, be caws the shreffe of Warwyk shyre is
dede,[90.1] and they may not sytt in to the tyme ther be a new shreve.
And all thys myschef fell be cawse of a nold debate that was be twene
heme for takyng of a dystres, as hyt is told.
And All mygthty Jesu preserve yowr hye astat, my spesiall Lord, and send
yow long lyve and good hele.
Wryten at Coventre on Tewusday next after Corpus Christi day, &c.
Be yowr own pore Servant,